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New Marine SACs and SPAs announced by Natural England and JNCC

In connection with a public consultation lasting until 26th February 2010, Natural England, in conjunction with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW), has announced that a new raft of marine Special Areas of Conservation (SACsSpecial Areas of Conservation) and Special Protection Areas for wild birds (SPAsSpecial Protection Areas (SPAs) are strictly protected sites classified in accordance with Article 4 of the EC Birds Directive, which came into force in April 1979. They are classified for rare and vulnerable birds (as listed on Annex I of the Directive), and for regularly occurring migratory species.) are to be created under the Natura 2000A European network of protected sites developed to maintain or restore natural habitats and species of wild flora and faunaThe animals characteristic of a region, period, or special environment to favourable conservation status within the European Union. Habitats Regulations (EU Habitats Directive).

10 new marine SACsSpecial Areas of Conservation and 2 new marine SPAsSpecial Protection Areas (SPAs) are strictly protected sites classified in accordance with Article 4 of the EC Birds Directive, which came into force in April 1979. They are classified for rare and vulnerable birds (as listed on Annex I of the Directive), and for regularly occurring migratory species. are to be created.

There are currently 81 SACsSpecial Areas of Conservation with marine components, covering 2% of the UK sea area. A list of the SACsSpecial Areas of Conservation and their qualifying marine features is available, see www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4658. 76 of these SACsSpecial Areas of Conservation are in inshore waters, 5 are in offshore waters. There are four marine habitats and four marine species present in UK waters offshore from the coast for which the European Commission has stated that SACsSpecial Areas of Conservation may be designated.

The marine habitats are:

Sandbanks which are slightly covered by seawater all the time.

Reefs

Submarine structures made by leaking gases.

Submerged or partially submerged sea caves.

The marine species are:

Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus)

Common seal (Phoca vitulina)

Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

Harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)

The 5 existing offshore marine SACsSpecial Areas of Conservation are:

Braemar Pockmarks, North Sea (Submarine structures made by leaking gases)

Scanner Pockmark, North Sea (Submarine structures made by leaking gases)

Haig Fras, South West seas (Bedrock reef)

Stanton Banks, West Scotland (Bedrock reef)

Darwin Mounds, North Scotland (Reef)

The 12 new proposed marine SACsSpecial Areas of Conservation and SPAsSpecial Protection Areas (SPAs) are strictly protected sites classified in accordance with Article 4 of the EC Birds Directive, which came into force in April 1979. They are classified for rare and vulnerable birds (as listed on Annex I of the Directive), and for regularly occurring migratory species. are:

Inner Dowsing, Race Bank and North Ridge, inshore and offshore waters of southern North Sea (Sandbanks which are slightly covered by seawater all the time)

Haisborough, Hammond and Winterton, inshore and offshore waters of southern North Sea (Sandbanks which are slightly covered by seawater all the time)

Margate and Long Sands, Thames Estuary (Sandbanks which are slightly covered by seawater all the time)

Bassurelle Sandbank, offshore waters of Dover Strait (Sandbanks which are slightly covered by seawater all the time)

Poole Bay to Lyme Bay Reefs, Dorset and Devon coast (Reefs)

Prawle Point to Plymouth Sound and Eddystone, Devon coast (Reefs)

Lizard Point, Cornwall (Reefs)

Lands End and Cape Bank, Cornwall (Reefs)

Shell Flat and Lune Deep, Morecambe Bay (Reefs and Sandbanks which are slightly covered by seawater all the time)

North West Rockall Bank, off North West Scotland (Reefs and Harbour porpoise)

Liverpool Bay (SPASpecial Protection Areas (SPAsSpecial Protection Areas (SPAs) are strictly protected sites classified in accordance with Article 4 of the EC Birds Directive, which came into force in April 1979. They are classified for rare and vulnerable birds (as listed on Annex I of the Directive), and for regularly occurring migratory species.) are strictly protected sites classified in accordance with Article 4 of the EC Birds Directive, which came into force in April 1979. They are classified for rare and vulnerable birds (as listed on Annex I of the Directive), and for regularly occurring migratory species.)

Outer Thames Estuary (SPASpecial Protection Areas (SPAsSpecial Protection Areas (SPAs) are strictly protected sites classified in accordance with Article 4 of the EC Birds Directive, which came into force in April 1979. They are classified for rare and vulnerable birds (as listed on Annex I of the Directive), and for regularly occurring migratory species.) are strictly protected sites classified in accordance with Article 4 of the EC Birds Directive, which came into force in April 1979. They are classified for rare and vulnerable birds (as listed on Annex I of the Directive), and for regularly occurring migratory species.)

Full details about the existing and proposed new marine SACsSpecial Areas of Conservation (both inshore and offshore) and the proposed new SPAsSpecial Protection Areas (SPAs) are strictly protected sites classified in accordance with Article 4 of the EC Birds Directive, which came into force in April 1979. They are classified for rare and vulnerable birds (as listed on Annex I of the Directive), and for regularly occurring migratory species. can be obtained by visiting Natural England and Joint Nature Conservation Committee.

MARINET welcomes these new additions to the UK marine SACSpecial Areas of Conservation and SPASpecial Protection Areas (SPAsSpecial Protection Areas (SPAs) are strictly protected sites classified in accordance with Article 4 of the EC Birds Directive, which came into force in April 1979. They are classified for rare and vulnerable birds (as listed on Annex I of the Directive), and for regularly occurring migratory species.) are strictly protected sites classified in accordance with Article 4 of the EC Birds Directive, which came into force in April 1979. They are classified for rare and vulnerable birds (as listed on Annex I of the Directive), and for regularly occurring migratory species. network, both inshore and offshore. They are an essential improvement on the marine conservation network. However, these new and existing sites are entirely linked to the European Habitats Directive (four types of habitat: Sandbanks which are slightly covered by seawater all the time; Reefs; Submarine structures made by leaking gases; Submerged or partially submerged sea caves ) and take no account of the vast number of other types of marine habitat that exist, all of which are important and many of which are being severely damaged.

Therefore MARINET observes that it cannot be said by the UK Government that these new and existing marine SACSpecial Areas of Conservation sites are representative of the marine ecosystem as a whole — a key characteristic required by the OSPARConvention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic made up of representatives of the Governments of the 15 signatory nations.
Convention commitment to create an ecologically coherent network of marine reserves by 2010. In addition, it is not clear either how these new and existing marine SACSpecial Areas of Conservation reserves are linked to each other in any coherent ecological manner to sustain the four different marine ecosystems which they are protecting.

Further, MARINET observes that none of these marine SACsSpecial Areas of Conservation are focused on fish species and commercial fish stocks which are under very severe pressure in all UK seas. MARINET observes that a network of marine SACsSpecial Areas of Conservation which takes no account of fish species and fish stocks — a key, dominant feature of the whole marine ecosystem — simply cannot be said to comply with the UK Government’s OSPARConvention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic made up of representatives of the Governments of the 15 signatory nations.
Convention commitment to create an ecologically coherent network of marine reserves by 2010.

Thus, whilst MARINET welcomes these new SACsSpecial Areas of Conservation and SPAsSpecial Protection Areas (SPAs) are strictly protected sites classified in accordance with Article 4 of the EC Birds Directive, which came into force in April 1979. They are classified for rare and vulnerable birds (as listed on Annex I of the Directive), and for regularly occurring migratory species., it advises that we must be under no illusion as to the serious shortcomings that these actions represent when considering the urgent need to be creating and ecologically coherent network of marine reserves in order to protect the marine ecosystem as a whole throughout UK seas. These recently announced actions to create new SACsSpecial Areas of Conservation and SPAsSpecial Protection Areas (SPAs) are strictly protected sites classified in accordance with Article 4 of the EC Birds Directive, which came into force in April 1979. They are classified for rare and vulnerable birds (as listed on Annex I of the Directive), and for regularly occurring migratory species. fall woefully short of the real action which is required. Over 80% of European commercial fish stocks are being overfished at the present time, and 30% beyond their safe biological limit (see CFP Reform Green Paper).

These actions on SACsSpecial Areas of Conservation and SPAsSpecial Protection Areas (SPAs) are strictly protected sites classified in accordance with Article 4 of the EC Birds Directive, which came into force in April 1979. They are classified for rare and vulnerable birds (as listed on Annex I of the Directive), and for regularly occurring migratory species. will do little to address this urgent crisis.